The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard is my first book by Natasha Lester and I enjoyed it.

In this book there are three timelines covering three generations of Bricard women whose lives are each entangled in the fashion industry. The 1930's/40's gives us Mizza Bricard, Astrid Bricard arises in the 60's and 70's, and the present day timeline is of Blythe Bricard.

I found Astrid & Blythe's timelines the most interesting. Astrid's includes her unappreciated brilliance as a design as well as a passionate yet tragic love story with another designer, Hawk. I could have read and entire book about just Astrid.

Blythe's timeline somewhat parallels her mother Astrid's. She is an underestimated woman in fashion and has reunited with her ex-husband. Blythe is uncovering the secrets of how her mother disappeared while piecing together her broken family.

For me, Mizza's timeline slowed down the book a bit. It didn't connect with or parallel the other two quite as well and the details were forgettable when I wasn't reading her section. While reading her timeline I felt like the book was long and sometimes lost stamina.

Overall I enjoyed this book and especially the message. I look forward to diving more into Natasha Lester's backlist starting with Alix St. Pierre who has cameo appearances in this book!

I really liked this book, it was different than anything else I've read which was a breath of fresh air. I will be recommending this to my friends, and auto buy this author!

Blythe Bricard is a woman whose name and legacy are tied to two infamous women in fashion; Mizza Bricard who worked alongside amazing designers, and Astrid Bricard, a designer who never saw her fame which was overshadowed by the man she loved. When Blythe decides to bring the family brand back, she realizes she must heal her trauma and solve the family mystery of what happened to her mother, Astrid, that night years ago in Versailles.

Natasha Lester uses her past in fashion to bring the untold women in that field and how they were forgotten by history or removed from it by men to light. Her books always send me to Google to ensure I can picture the people and places she adds to her story. While the story is a little longer than I thought necessary, it is compelling. It shows how little women were considered and how the contributions of men were more important. She seamlessly weaves this thought into her author's note which makes note of how women are still slighted for daring to be born female.

The love story between Hawk and Astrid is just lovely and the multiple storylines added a depth to the novel. I love parts of it. It also dragged along in parts. The main female characters experience angst about not living the life they were went to life. I got tired of reading about every little thought in their minds. It was repetitive and boring at times. That said, it is also a character-driven novel with the historical backdrop of the world of fashion throughout the years. The fashion aspect was very interesting and fun, as was the romance. It has a lot of great qualities. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester!

To say that I loved this book would be an understatement. Everything about it…I will buy it when it comes out to keep forever, and recommend it to all to do the same. The characterization of ALL characters is amazing. To be angry at a character and still love them—that’s a difficult thing to accomplish, and yet, Natasha Lester has done it. Amazing book.

This was long. We walk through the life and times of Astrid, her mother Mizza, and her daughter Blythe. All involved with the fashion industry. There's a lot going on in this book. Astrid is trying to stay out of her mother's shadow. Blythe is trying to rediscover her real mother and grandmother, not how the media portrays them. There's a touch of WWII historical fiction that probably could have been fleshed out a bit more, but that would have added to the length of the book. There's the girl power aspect as well. Men taking credit or being assigned credit when they didn't do the work. They're all trying to find themselves amidst the celebrity.
There's a lot of bouncing back and forth between narratives and timelines. it is a little tricky to follow the stream with each.
I received an ARC for my honest opinion of this book.

The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard was captivating read told through three generations of women who have always had to prove themselves and yet it is always a man that gets the credit.

Im not a fashionista so to be taken on a journey tgrough the World of fashion was very new too me

I was taken on an emotional journey while reading this story. But i absolutely loved it

Anyone who loves historical fiction and fashion will love this book. I know i did.

Thank you to the Grand Central Publishing(Forever) and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

All thoughts and opinions are my own thoughts and opinions and arent influenced by anyone else

Focusing on three generations of strong women and set in the fashion world, The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard is another wonderful historical fiction novel from Australian writer Natasha Lester.

Blythe Bricard feels overwhelmed by the legacy of her grandmother and mother. In 1917 her grandmother, Mizza, was known as the muse of the famous designer, Christian Dior. In the 1970's her mother, Astrid Bricard and father Hawk Jones were one of the most famous couples on the New York City fashion scene. But on the eve of a big fashion competition between American and French designers at the Palace of Versailles, Astrid disappeared.

Blythe who is also a very talented designer wants to make her mark in the fashion world but how can she do that without being compared to her mother and grandmother and what happened to her mother, Astrid?

The reader is drawn into the different time periods with the Paris fashion houses, war in France, the disco scene in New York City in the 1970's and the fabulous clothes from both time periods. We can feel the struggle women faced trying to succeed in the fashion world that was dominated by men. Some of the book is based on true events and the author also brought in real life characters to add to the story. The mystery of what happened to Astrid was intriguing, too. I couldn't wait to see if we find out what happened to her.

Thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy of this book. The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard will be published in the US on January 30, 2024

“𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙬 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙄 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙄’𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨—𝙄’𝙢 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙨. 𝙄’𝙢 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙄 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙤 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙣𝙨. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄’𝙢 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝘽𝙡𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝘽𝙡𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙢𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡.”

three stories — each one epic in their own right, but then also skillfully woven together to create a masterpiece of a book. natasha lester has done it again! i got completely swept away in this story loosely based on the mysterious life of mizza bricard, christian dior’s assistant. wow, can you even imagine?

this is such a multilayered story! it’s hard to do justice for it in a simple review. there are so many messages to take away from this book. how far will a mother go in the name of love for her child? “how and why are women constantly reshaped by the media into something they aren’t?” (lester’s words from her author’s note.) what is the true story behind the picture online? what damage is the media really doing to people, especially women? this book brought out all of these thought provoking questions and more.

while this book raises the topic on some serious issues, there are beautiful, tender moments contained within as well. lester nails the romance and absolutely made me swoon with some of the scenes in this book. i don’t want to give anything away, but i will say that if you’re a sucker for a second chance romance or two…you may wanna pick this up. also getting to revisit my girl, alix st. pierre, was such a wonderful treat!

i can’t recommend this dive into history, fashion, motherhood and more enough!! i also recommend reading the author’s note. i so appreciate natasha’s thoughtfulness to research and explaining what’s fact and what’s fiction. i can’t wait to see what she writes next!

romance: fade to black

thank you to forever for an advanced copy. my thoughts are my own.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Steam Level: 🔥🔥 (fade to black scenes)
Trigger Warning: missing person, parental abandonment, postpartum depression; brief mentions of death of a loved one and divorce

Three generations of women in fashion, all belittled by the media and forced into the shadows of men. When Astrid Bricard goes missing during fashion's Battle at Versailles, no one is able to find out what happened to her or whether or not she is alive. Years later, Astrid's daughter Blythe begins to unravel the lies that have been told about not just her mother but also her grandmother Mizza Bricard. Who were these women, and how can Blythe change the narrative about them going forward?

I don't usually pick up historical fiction, but when my friend Courtney raved about Natasha Lester's previous book, I knew I should give this one a try. While the majority of this book focuses on Astrid Bricard's rise to fame, love affair with Hawk Jones, and blatant misrepresentation by the media, it also tells the stories of Astrid's mother and daughter who faced their own struggles as women designers. This book is loosely based on the real-life Mizza Bricard who worked with Christian Dior. I love seeing how authors take true stories and weave fiction into them. We see Mizza surviving the Nazi invasion during WW2, Astrid and her friend Velvet fighting for the rights of women during the 70's, and Blythe fighting to escape the shadows of her mother and grandmother while also reconnecting with her ex-husband. These women each faced heartache and inequality while also finding love and becoming mothers. I found myself captivated and will definitely be picking up more books by Natasha Lester in the future.

Thank you Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I just love her books! This one was another very interesting read told through three generations of women who have always had to fight to prove themselves and yet it is always a man that gets the credit. I loved all three women in their own ways and loved that the one character was based on a true person. I also love how Natasha always pulls in characters from previous novels and a character from her last novel had a perfect connection to these women in this story. History, seventies, women, fashion and motherhood were all themes throughout this novel and love how in depth the author always winds these within the characters and their stories. Another great read and woman from history who would be forgotten. Thank you to the author and Forever Publishing for the free arc. This review is of my own opinion and accord.

I good read. At first I found it just an interesting glimpse into the fashion world, but then the family & relationship stories emerged. The descriptions of the France vs US design competition were fascinating & led me to watch the documentary about the same event. Would read another book by this author.

This was such a fabulous read!! It was everything I could ever want, and more in historical fiction. We are taken on a journey through 3 generations of Bricard women, whose lives are filled with trauma and hardships that they all must face at some point. Not knowing anything about fashion and design, I was taken through a world I have zero experience with. My naïveté on how famous women have been and still are treated in the media was shattered. It’s just not a subject I have thought too much about out of disinterest. This book completely changed my outlook on many things I knew little about. I was taken through every emotion reading this. I had my heart torn to pieces many times over and put back together in the end.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this compelling novel It beautifully tells the story of a family of women in a male-dominated profession. The three generations designed amazing clothing but were considered muses of the accomplished male fashion designers. Their stories are of love and the sacrifices they made. I enjoyed reading this exciting book.

I have loved Natasha Lester’s historical fiction starting when I read The Paris Secret. Since then, I have read every new book as it has been published and also look forward to a few earlier ones that I still need to catch up on.

Lester always tells a great story with a mix of fashion and history. This book is no exception although I think that it is the author’s most ambitious book yet.

Here readers meet three generations of strong women who are related and share a commitment to fashion. The oldest of these is Mizza Bricard. She was a real person and one who was described as a muse to Christian Dior. Living through several world wars was just one of her challenges.

Next is Mizza’s daughter Astrid. Why did Mizza not raise her? Astrid grows up in the seventies. She attends fashion/design school and meets the mesmerizing Hawk Jones. How will their relationship ebb and flow and how will their fashion stories and accomplishments continue to cross? And, importantly, how and why did Astrid disappear? What does/did Hawk know?

The daughter of Astrid and Hawk is Blythe. Blythe is also trying to establish her fashion line. She is divorced with two children. Does she want to try again with the (sometimes) charming Jake? Will her fashion business be successful?

This book has an excellent plot, good settings, interesting characters and a real eye on the fashion scene. In addition, I think that Lester wants to bring women out of the shadows and for them to be recognized for their accomplishments. Bravo for that.

I recommend this book very highly. Anyone who enjoys historical fiction, fashion and/or stories about women, family and career should give this title a look. I already can’t wait for Lester’s next novel.

Many thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this title. All opinions are my own.

An incredible book that pulls back the curtain on the fashion industry and spotlights three gifted women who fought to be seen as talented fashion designers rather than muses.

✔️three dynamic protagonists
✔️three equally compelling timelines
✔️interesting topic; fashion across decades/continents
✔️eye-opening focus; gender bias in the fashion industry
✔️masterful balance; romance, mystery, history
✔️dreamy setting; Paris/Battle of Versailles
✔️vivid descriptions; people, places, and fabrics

Every page left me needing more!
Every chapter left me educated and emotional!

I finished feeling as if I was outfitted for battle; inspired, uplifted, empowered, and ready for what the world had in store for me! What a great book to read as the year opens, full of possibilities ahead.

I was gifted this copy by Forever, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review

Natasha Lester's The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard intricately weaves the tales of three generations in the esteemed Bricard fashion dynasty—Mizza in 1917, Astrid in 1970s New York, and Blythe in the present day. Blythe, overshadowed by her iconic grandmother and mother, embarks on a journey to a French chateau that unravels family secrets. Astrid's rise in the 1970s fashion scene, her passionate affair, and mysterious disappearance during the Battle of Versailles form a central mystery. Lester expertly blends historical accuracy with fictional elements, exploring themes of sacrifice, love, and the impact of pivotal decisions. The emotional resonance and intricate family dynamics, coupled with Lester's powerful storytelling, create a must-read novel that leaves a lasting imprint, unraveling the elegance and complexities of womanhood, legacy, and the indomitable spirit across generations.

No doubt a page-turner, Natasha Lester’s latest has a lot to catch the reader’s eye, but perhaps too much to fully unpack in the confines of one story. The triple timeline structure works well to establish the multigenerational impact of the Bricard women, but also has a tendency to feel overstuffed with historical references and plot diversions.

Multiple timelines. Three generations of women in the fashion world. Past: Mizza Bricard, Paris 1917. Recent past, 1970s--New York, Hawk Jones and Astrid Bricard. Present: Blythe Bricard [daugher of Hawk and Astrid]. The fashion world--and sexism in that industry [and the push of feminism from SOME of the women behind the male designers]. Dysfunction. Many parallels [or so it seemed to me] between Hawk and Astrid, and Blythe and her husband, Jake.

My thoughts: too long, pedestrian, a repetitive rant, sometimes melodramatic, and overall--BORING. I could have read a better or much better book [not hard, this bar was SO LOW]. This was my feeling when barely into the book, but I plodded through--hoping it would improve [negative].

Full disclosure, cringeworthy, "mushy" proses does me in and this novel had an abundance of it--it derails whatever I'm reading. To wit [and these are but A FEW examples]:
"...lingering heat of Hawk's hand on her skin is both the rapture and the madness of a trip"
"one second of searing heat before her lips are on his"
"grey cashmere sweater ripples over his chest like her hands want to"
"deep and lifelong ocean of passion, with islands of tenderness..."

And why the [several times] use of jumper, a British term, when it clearly takes place in the US or Paris?

I rarely give such a scathing review but I thought this 467-page book a total waste of my time.

Mizza ferrying children away from Nazis was but ONE spark in book. Some mystery as to Astrid's parents but not nearly enough to maintain interest.

IN THE DISTINCT MINORITY; I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE PRAISE FOR THIS BOOK.